Street and station indicator.



H. A. FLECK & C. H. FLECK, Inf

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6. 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

INVENTORS.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH (20., WASHINGTON, u. c.

H. A. FLECK & C. H. FLECK, In.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 19:4.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY'A. FLECK AND CHARLES H. FLECK,

.1. arena entice.

JR., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STREET AND STATION INDICATOR.

To all whom it may concern: a

Be it known that we, HENRY A. FLnoK and CHARLES H. FLECK, Jr., bothcitizens of the United States, residing in the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulStreet apron may be unwound, a spring serving as a power to cause theproper motion of said apron, a dog or pawl, and a ratchet device forcontrolling said motion intermittently, and means for operating said dogembodying a solenoid and an electric connectionfor the same and the feedwire along the car tracks or railroad, whereby the indicator may beoperated automatically on approaching or arriving at the next street orstation.

It consists of novel means for ire-winding the apron after it has beenunwound, to sufiicient extent from its roller, reel or drum.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing,but the im portant instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the specificdetails shown and described. a

t Figure 1 represents a front elevationof a '1 street or stationindicator embodying our j invention. Fig. 2 represents a rear viewthereof. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation;

thereof on an enlarged scale takenfrom the right hand of Fig. 1. Fig. atrepresents a vertical section on an enlarged scale on line w -m Fig. 1.Fig. 5 represents a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on linefl/-fl/ Fig. 1. Fi 6 represents a partial section and partial sideelevation of a portion of the apron-r'ewinding mechanism.

Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the feed wire of a trolley lineand the means employed therefrom for energizing the sole noidhereinafter referred-to. Fig. 8 represents a verticalsection of thesolenoid," j}

Specification of Letters Patent.

Connected with one of the axles of the Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed October 16, 1914. Serial No. 866,930.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an apron on which the names ofstreets and stations are printed, painted or otherwise placed (one beingshown at 2), the same being adapted to be unwound from and wound 'uponthe rollers, reels or drums 3 and 4 which are mounted one below theother on the side plates 5 of the frame of the. device. Connected withone of said plates is the spring 6 whose barrel or casing 7 has the gearwheel 8 connected therewith. or journals roller at is the pinion 9 whichby means of intermediate pinions 10 on said side plate is geared over tothe wheel 8 whereby the unwinding of the spring 6 imparts rotary motionto the roller 4, so as to cause the apron 1 to be wound on said roller,while the latter is drawn down so as to be unwound from the roller 8, sothat 'the name of a street or station will be presented to the front atthe place on the apron intermediate of the rollers 3 and 4, it beingnoticed that the mechanism of the device is inclosed in a suitablecasing shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and having an opening in frontthrough which the name of the street or station on the apron is visible,these features per '36 being known in the art.

In order to control the unwinding of the spring so that unwinding andwinding of the apron will be at intervals to cause the names of thestreets or stations to be presented successively to view there isconnected with one of the journals or axles of the roller 3, the ratchet11 with whose teeth engages the nose of the dog or pawl 12 which isconnected with the adjacent side j which extends from the car to theelectric feed wire therefor and is adapted to engage with intermediatecircuit-forming and closing devices as hereinafter described locatedadjacent to the approaching street or sta: tion sothat the solenoid willbe operated in advance of said street or station, whereby the magnetwill be energized and the core 17 raised, and with it the cam member 16,the lower diagonal limb of the slot 15 of the latter riding over thecrank pin 14: so as to raise the latter, and with it the connected endof the dog 12, whereby the nose of the dog will be withdrawn from thetooth of the ratchet with which it had been engaged to control saidratchet thus releasing the ratchet so that the spring 6 unwinds andbecomes operative to exert its power on the lower roller 4, and rotateit whereby the apron 1 is wound on said drum, and it draws itself fromthe upper roller 3 so as to be unwound from the latter, the distancerequired to present the name of the next or coming street or station onthe front visible part of said apron the teeth of the ratchet 11 beingtimed or spaced to accomplish the proper movement of the apron, theextent of rotation of the rollers being equal to the distance betweenadjacent teeth of the ratchet. Then the circuit of the conductors isbroken, whereby the solenoid drops and the cam 16 operates the dog, sothat its nose rises and is placed in the path of the advancing tooth ofthe ratchet engaging with the shoulder thereof, thus locking the ratchetand preventing movement of the apron and rollers and holding the springin check until the magnet is again energized, when the core is raisedagain and the other operations stated are repeated,

, When the apron has been unwound fully or suficiently from the roller3, it requiresto be re-wound upon the same. and for this purpose thereis connected with the axis of said rol er the pullev 20, around which ispassed the endless belt 21 which passesalso around the wheel 22, thelatter being mounted on the lever 23 which is pivotally connected withthe lower portion of the adiacentside plate 5 of the frame of thedevice,

' said wheel 21 being provided with the crank *handle 24 wherebv it maybe rotated. 'lVhen said lever is in horizontal position orapproximatelyso, the belt 21 is loose on the wheel 22 so does not impart motion tothe latter, whereby said wheel and the crank handle thereof remain atrest during the shifting of the apron, but when said lever is lowered,the wheel 22 follows the. same, and so contacts with the lower portionof the belt 21 so as to tighten the belt thereon. Now the wheel may berotated bv the'crank handle whereby the belt rotates the wheel 20 "andwith it the roller 3, thus drawing up the apron and rewinding the latterupon said roller.

As the ratchet ll'now rotates inth'e direction opposite to that shown bythe arrow Fig. 5, its teeth ride freely over the nose of the dog 12, thecrank pin oscillating freely in the upper diagonal limb of the slot 15until the winding of the spring is ceased when the nose of the dog dropsinto engagement w'iththe adjacent tooth of the ratchet and so controlsthe latter, whereby the apron is held at rest until the solenoid isagain.

lated therefrom. On the support 26 of the feed wire 27 in the contactpiece 28. which is suspended from the insulating member 29 on saidsupport.

The'conta'ct piece 28. is inelectrical com- -munication with thefeed-wire 27 by the connecting wire 80, consequent-1y whenthe piece 24reaches the piece 28 and contacts Attention is directed to the factthatthe T IOPYPEIWI 2 has a plurality ofnoses 81,

so that when one of the same is withdrawn from the shoulclerof thet'oothwith which it therewith'the electric. circuit is formedbe-Q. tweenthe feed wire 27 and the conductor 19,

is engaged, and it lowers therefrom'where by the ratchet 11 is permittedto rotate, the other nose is raised and'contacts with the curved outersurface of said tooth and bears against the same somewhat tangentially,

Xvhereby it assists the ratchet1to revolve, a

feature of importance should said ratchet stick on its bearings orbeotherwise'stopped by its gearing working improperly, or the "spring-Gshould fail to unwind or lose its full power to perform its operation.

Having-thus described our invention what cam' rigid with and upwardlycontinuous of the core of said solenoid and movable in allnementtherewith, a 'slidable -'COI1Il6Ct10Il between said cam and'dog,and-means for energizing the magnet of said solenoid.

.2. In an indicator, a revoluble member, a ratchet thereon, a pivotallymounted pawl having noses of different lengths adapted forcooperationwith said ratchet, andelectrio means controlling andactuating said -paWl,jsa1d means embodying a solenoid, a

having an angular shaped slot and a crank vice, a Wheel having itsbearings on said 10 pin movable With said pawl and adapted to lever, andan endless belt adapted to pass oscillate in both limbs of said slot. faround said Wheels.

3. In a street and station indicator or a car, an apron, a roller onWhich and from g fii g JR Which said apron may be rewound, and a rerWinding device for said apron on said roller Witnesses: consisting of aWheel on sald roller, a swlng- J OHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, mg lever mounted onthe frame of the de- N. BUSSINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

